This invention relates generally to fluid operated clocks and particularly to a clock having an oscillating pallet assembly and a control balance weight.
The prior art reveals that several attempts have been made to provide satisfactory fluid operated clock mechanism. The simplest of the known mechanisms include a clock having a drive consisting essentially of a water wheel having circumferential, pivotally mounted buckets, the wheel being rotated in one direction by an offset water supply. Another known simple mechanism provides an oscillating pallet arm which is coupled to a conventional clock mechanism by means of a spring-loaded balance, water being supplied alternately to the buckets to cause oscillation. An improved form of this type of structure is to be found in applicant's own U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,371, in which a valve mechanism is used to route the fluid alternately to the buckets. Another variation on the oscillating pallet assembly provides an assembly which is rigidly mounted to a pendulum and utilizes a cam drive wheel which is rotated by the pendulum. The eariler, relatively simple models have the disadvantage of being somewhat inaccurate while the later models suffer from the disadvantage of being more complex and therefore more expensive to manufacture.
The present device solves the above and other problems in a manner not suggested by the known prior art.